FG announces end of PENGASSAN, Dangote rift

The Federal Government has brokered peace in the face-off between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, after two days of conciliation meetings.

A statement issued in the early hours of Wednesday by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, disclosed that the matter was resolved following lengthy discussions.

According to the statement, the resolutions reached included: “The Honourable Minister of Labour informed the meeting that unionisation is a right of workers in accordance with the laws of Nigeria, and this right should be respected.

“After examining the procedure used in the disengagement of workers, the meeting agreed that the management of Dangote Group shall immediately begin the process of redeploying the disengaged staff to other companies within the Dangote Group, with no loss of pay.

“No worker will be victimised arising from their role in the impasse between Dangote and PENGASSAN.

“PENGASSAN agreed to start the process of calling off the strike. Both parties agreed to this understanding in good faith.”

The government delegation at the meeting included the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Dingyadi; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Barr. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Director-General of the DSS, Adeola Ajayi; and the Director-General of the NIA, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed.

Monday’s earlier meeting between PENGASSAN and the Dangote Refinery management over the industrial dispute had ended in a deadlock.

The session, which began around 4 pm, stretched into the early hours of Tuesday without resolution.

Following the stalemate, Dingyadi announced that the talks would reconvene by 2 pm on Tuesday.

The follow-up meeting, which eventually commenced around 3:50 p.m. at the Office of the National Security Adviser, lasted into the early hours of Wednesday, when the breakthrough was finally achieved.

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The rift had stemmed from allegations by PENGASSAN that the Dangote Refinery engaged in mass transfers and sackings of union members, while also replacing some Nigerians with foreign nationals, claims the company consistently denied.

The Federal Government intervened over concerns about the impact of the dispute on the nation’s economy and energy security.